Council last night approved the naming of a new community facility as 'Poa Banyal Mount Duneed Community Hub', in recognition of our region's Aboriginal heritage.
Pronounced 'Poah-Banyool', Poa Banyal translates to 'Grassy Hill' and is the third of the City's new child and family centres to use the local Wadawurrung language in their name.
The new facility at 110-122 Unity Drive, Mount Duneed, will accommodate a range of early years and family services, including sessional kindergarten, maternal and child health, family support consulting rooms, and flexible community spaces.
City of Greater Geelong Mayor Peter Murrihy;
Council is proud to honour the region's Aboriginal heritage when naming its buildings.Incorporating the Wadawurrung language into the naming of our community buildings promotes education of Aboriginal history and culture within Council and across the community.
It is important Indigenous languages are protected, and by encouraging children to learn Wadawurrung words, we help to keep the language alive and continue our work towards building an inclusive, diverse and socially connected community.
The name - Poa Banyal Mount Duneed Community Hub - has been created with, agreed upon and approved by traditional landowners from Wathaurong Aboriginal Corporation.
The wider community also had its say on the names via the City's community engagement process during June and July 2022.
The hub is jointly funded by the Council ($10.7 million) and the Victorian Government ($2.25 million).
The City is running a tender process for an external provider to operate the kindergarten and community spaces, with the building expected to begin to be activated for the community in the second half of 2023.
Kardinia Ward Councillor, Ron Nelson;
The areas of Armstrong Creek and Mount Duneed are undergoing rapid growth, and this new facility will provide vital services for families with young children.Having so many family services under one roof, right next to the Mirripoa Primary School, means that we are making it as easy as we can for families to access services in a streamlined way.
The hub will also provide valuable multipurpose spaces for community groups to meet and will complement the nearby community shed.
'Poa Banyal Mount Duneed Community Hub' meets the criteria under the Geographical Place Names Act 1998 and the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria 2016.
